Saskatchewan floods: 15 states of emergency, residents use boats to evacuate stranded people

As flood waters began to surround some homes in the RM of Connaught on Monday, people took evacuations into their own hands.

Boats and seadoos were dug out of storage to motor across roads inundated with water.

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Reeve Lloyd Seymour said four residents that were stranded were taken to safety and put in touch with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).

“We’re a community,” he said. “Communities pull together in times like this.”

Flooding on Highway 5 just before Watson on May 4, 2026. Part of the road is washed out and debris shows where the floodwaters have been. High winds are also continuing to move water across the road. (Libby Gray/650 CKOM)

Seymour said he has spent much of the weekend closing roads that have been flooded.

The RM of Connaught is just one of many communities that have declared a state of emergency as spring melt flooding washes out roads and fills basements.

Fifteen local states of emergency had been declared due to flooding as of Monday morning, but the number could rise. There had been no reports of injuries.

Rescuers on a boat glide across a road covered in water in the RM of Connaught. (Lloyd Seymour/Submitted)

The Carrot and Leather rivers flow through the RM, and Seymour said both are continuing to rise.

“This caught us off guard a little bit, just because of how much (water) did come up in certain areas, overnight” he said. “We are doing our best to be proactive, not reactive.”

Seymour said people are going to check certain areas and warn residents if the water creeps closer.

“I would much rather err on the side of caution and give our residents enough notice if they have to evacuate,” he said.

Seymour said the area has applied for the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program for extra support, as a culvert was blown out due to rushing water.

“Until the waters recede, we don’t know what the extent of any damage is yet,” he said.

Don Skoretz, Reeve of the RM of Buchanan, said the community declared a state of emergency due to the flooding.

“It is tough, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “We’ve gone through it before, and we will get through it again.”

A truck stuck in floodwaters near Tiny posted on social media on May 1, 2026. Between Buchanan and Preeceville there are many roads closed and lots of washouts, the poster said. (Darryl Deighton/Facebook)

Skoretz said at least one person is trapped due to water encircling their home, but they don’t need to be evacuated yet.

He encouraged everyone to drive with caution as the structural integrity of many roads is threatened by the water.

“Nothing but water,” he said. “That’s all we see driving in our municipality.”

Skoretz said the RM has set its budget for the year, but council may re-adjust based on damages from the flooding.

“It’s just a difficult situation for the RM, for the ratepayers as well,” he said.

Do you have a state of emergency or flooding in your area? Send info, pics and video to webnews@rawlco.com

While some areas hit by flooding over the weekend were seeing the water recede on Monday, the Water Security Agency (WSA) said water levels from spring runoff were still expected to rise in some places.

“We’ve experienced a late rapid thaw and higher than average snow pack combined with late spring snow storms, and it’s creating significant runoff in northwestern and northeastern Saskatchewan,” explained Leah Clark, executive director of irrigation and economic development at the WSA.

Clark said in an update on Monday that over the weekend there were high flows in the northern portions of the Quill Lakes Basin, the headwaters of the Carrot River, and parts of the Assiniboine River Basin.

The Water Security Agency issued flood warnings for the area in blue on April 28, 2026. (Water Security Agency website)

There’s a high flow advisory from WSA still in effect for large swath of northern Saskatchewan, from near Buffalo Narrows southeast to Yorkton.

Clark said flows on Carrot River near Kinistino, Armley, Smoky Burn and Turnberry continue to rise, and expected outflows are a one-in-25-year event near Smoky Burn, and a one in 200 year event near Armley.

“This indicates significant flood magnitude, with peak flows anticipated within the next four to six days,” she said.

In the Quill Lakes Basin, Clark said the flows on the northern tributaries have increased a lot and are at near peak, while the southern tributaries are receding.

The Wolverine Creek area near Humboldt is receding, she said.

There are colder temperatures in the forecast for the next couple of days for areas across the province and Clark said that could help.

“We are seeing that in in the future those overnight lows are dipping below 0 C, and that will help slow down flows. But once water is moving, and in this late in the spring we anticipate that it will continue to move, so we’ve got to work with that in mind,” said explained.

In the RM of Invergordon there were seven people who needed help to leave, but they’re supporting themselves outside the community now, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

A number of highways had been flooded or washed out in the affected areas, but the Ministry of Highways couldn’t say how many. Dan Palmer, senior communications consultant for the Ministry of Highways, used the opportunity in Monday’s flooding update to encourage people to use the Highway Hotline.

“Flooding situations are changing rapidly — you may have got to your destination, (but) check it again before you return and drive to current road conditions. Be cautious and be alert,” said Palmer.

—with files from 980 CJME’s Abby Zieverink and 980 CJME

Read more:

• Several Saskatchewan contractors hired to help build Bell data centre near Regina
• Regina streetcar rail tracks dug out of 11th Avenue construction
• A taste of kindness: Saskatoon restaurant owner serving high-end meals to city’s homeless